Birthday
by akaeve
Summary: a selection of small fclets celebrating Sir Paul McCartney's 70th Birthday
1. A day in the life ofTeam Gibbs

A day in the life...of Team Gibbs

(Apologies to Lennon/McCartney, I will never be a paperback writer.)

"Hello," Tony smiled at Ziva, as the elevator door opened and he saw her standing there.

"Goodbye," she laughed, as Tony got out, and she walked in, the doors now closing.

"And where is our favourite former Mossad Agent going all smiley, smiley?" Tony enquired throwing his rucksack, on the floor by his desk.

"Off down to see Abby, they have tickets for the "Strawberry Fields", you know, that Beatles tribute band, they are playing next week." Tim answered not looking from his screen

"You jest maestro, didn't know there was such a group, The Bootleg Beatles yes, but Strawberry Fields…learn something new every day." Tony replied.

"Certainly do….grab your gear….dead Sergeant Pepper….Sterling, Virginia." Gibbs shouted as he took his gun from his drawer, "Get Ziva."

"You'll be telling me next he lives in Penny lane, Sterling, in the lovely Sugarland Run Community, but then that would be a coincidence, and you don't believe in such things, do you?"

"You're way ahead of me DiNozzo," Gibbs replied as the elevator doors shut.

-oOo-

The team arrived at the crime scene; the local police had cordoned off the house waiting for the team. Gibbs looked about, no MCRT truck; he hoped Ducky and Jim had not got lost, as he looked down the street he saw the van roll up and stop outside the house.

"Sorry we are late, but I had to stop and change places with Mr Palmer, I did not want to go on a magical mystery tour, and since I used to live in Reston, I knew the way and shortcuts, so Jethro, you were joking when you said Sergeant Pepper?" Dr Mallard enquired.

"Nope….he's inside, and yes, before you start laughing, his name is Maxwell, Sergeant Maxwell Pepper," now looking at Jimmy, who was trying not to smirk.

Gibbs looked around, and spied DiNozzo. Gibbs' eye twitched, he hated hinky, he didn't like what he saw, Tony talking, no laughing, joking with a tall blonde. He watched as Tony gave the woman his card, and walk towards him.

"Don't Tony, don't tell me her name…." he laughed.

"Boss, that was, Rita, the lovely meter reader, with the Electric Utility Company….."

"And she was in the area reading the meters, for their annual reads and came across the body?" Gibbs asked shaking his head.

"Hey, Boss you psychic? Because…." Tony didn't finish.

"Jethro…I know you do not want to hear this, but Sergeant Pepper was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, I presume by the silver hammer found beside the body," Ducky said looking at Gibbs and trying not to laugh, "If I was a betting man…..which I'm not…I'd say…"

"Don't even say, what I think you're thinking." Gibbs snarled, as he turned and walked to the car.

"What's wrong Gibbs?" Ziva enquired, as she opened the passenger door and got in.

"Something not right….my gut hurts and it wasn't last night's dinner. We got any suspects?" he grumbled.

"Tim says the girl across the street. He and Tony are going to bring her in for questioning."

-oOo-

The girl sat in Interrogation room 1, she stared up at the glass window she rubbing her hands.

"Anyone would think she was guilty," Tony smiled looking at the girl, who turned as she heard the door open and Gibbs walk through the door. He pulled the chair out and sat down throwing the folder on the table.

"Does anyone know I'm here?" she whispered.

"Your mother should know by now." Gibbs smiled.

"Yesterday," she began to say, "All my troubles seemed so far away."

"Know that, so for the record, what is your name?" Gibbs began to ask.

"Eleanor Rigby," as Gibbs could almost hear the giggles from the control room.

"So, Eleanor….. what you going to tell me?" Gibbs continued.

"Nothing, you could try Lady Madonna. Yes the fool on the hill, she and Uncle Albert, they have been all pals for a while now, I don't know what the Sergeant was into, maybe you should ask them." Eleanor replied, as Gibbs turned and looked at the glass, he could almost hear the rush of his Agents leave the room, but he thanked Eleanor and saw her out.

-oOo-

The team arrived at Uncle Albert's. They got out the cars and made their way to the house, they could hear shouting from inside.

"You want to know a secret?" they heard the female shout.

"Help, that's what you need." the man retaliated with.

"I'm a believer. But we can work it out." Madonna said.

"Money can't buy me love." Uncle Albert replied.

"So you killed Maxwell. We could work this out you know."

"Have this from me to you." as they heard a shot from inside. Gibbs booted in the door to see Uncle Albert, otherwise known as Admiral Halsey holding the revolver in his right hand, Madonna lay injured on the floor.

"Get back, Federal Agents drop the weapon," Gibbs roared, as they watched the Admiral carefully place the gun on the carpet. He placed his hands behind his back and Tony cuffed him Ziva called 911 for Madonna.

-oOo-

The Team sat round the bullpen eating pizza and writing up the sitrep.

"Today has been a hard day's night, and I really should be sleeping." Tony yawned, as he closed the file.

"Well tomorrow we can look back at yesterday and say it was a day in the life of team Gibbs." Tim concluded.

The End.


	2. Jet

**Jet**

She sat bolt upright in the coffin, the night light flickering, and stared at the blind stifling a scream. What she saw was a shadow, a huge flying creature; she thought and remembered, the wings, the cape…the bat wings.

**36 Hours earlier**

"What you think McGee?" Abby asked as she held up a brooch, "Was thinking of turning it into a nice choker."

"Very pretty," as Tim stood, and made his way to Abby. "May I see?" as Abby handed the black brooch to him, "Victorian, and if I may say….Jet."

"Yeap, cool… found it in one of the Bohemian Antique shops."

"Abby Jet is never cool, it has a warmth about it. You realise there are two distinct types of Jet. True Whitby Jet, resulting from carbon compression and salt water and the softer which is fresh. The softer leaves a brown trace if rubbed. If this is true Whitby Jet, then it is from the early Jurassic age about 182 million years ago."

"Cool." was all Abby could say, "But I knew that, and it would be from the Araucariaceae or monkey puzzle tree. But hey McGee, Whitby is that notplace not mentioned in Bram Stoker's Dracula?"

"Was indeedie, the Russian ship, the _Demeter_, wrecked on the jagged coast line of North Yorkshire." Tim answered, handing the brooch back, and returning to his seat.

-oOo-

Abby decided she wanted to find out more about Whitby, and who was the best person to ask…Yes Ducky, as she went down to Autopsy.

"Abigail and what do I owe the pleasure of your company this afternoon?"

"Duks, Whitby?" she asked.

"Whitby…nice seaside town on the East coast of Yorkshire, famed for its Dracula connection…..also Captain Cook learned seamanship there. Captain Cook was half Scots you know?" as he watched Abby shake her head, "Oh yes, his father came from Kelso, but Whitby….it has a lovely old Benedictine Abbey, which I may add was where Caedmon, the earliest English poet, lived. The Abbey now has a central point for Goths. Did you know that there are two, Whitby Goth Weekends, locally known as WGW."

"Cool."

"Yes Abigail it can get quite cool, when the wind blows in from the North Sea. But what can I do to help you?"

"I was wondering I don't suppose you have a copy of Dracula I could borrow?" she now asked.

"But of course my dear, I will bring it in tomorrow for you." Ducky finished as he watched Abby turn and skip out the door.

-oOo-

Abby had re-read the book, she had read as a child but with her now new found knowledge of Whitby, and the thought of a Goth weekend, she had been more interested, and even more scared. In the flickering half-light, she imagined Dracula flying through the room, but as the creature came closer she began to smile. How was it, such a tiny moth, could have made her heart race to fast?


	3. Ebony and Ivory

**Ebony and Ivory**

Vance and Gibbs

"Agent Gibbs, my office now," Director Vance roared from round the bullpen and now heading for the stairs.

Gibbs sighed, this was all he needed, but duly followed.

"Shut the door Gibbs." Vance indicated.

"What's up Leon? Job getting a bit much? Gibbs asked.

"Why, you looking to sit in this chair, Gibbs? Vance asked pointing

"It would be a little awkward, chair's occupied." Gibbs answered smiling.

"Means, unfortunately I don't take my orders from you. Might be easier, then I wouldn't have all this." as Leon pointed, to the pile of files.

"Hell Leon, I didn't like when Jen asked me to, so why now. I do things different from you." Gibbs replied turning his head slightly.

"Certainly do Gibbs….I'm…"

"College trained…. go by the book, you were taught how it should be eh Leon."

"While you Gibbs are….old school? You and Mike, you bring your hard Marine ideologies…..your methods to NCIS."

"University of Life Leon, and…."

"Basically, politically incorrect." Leon replied not losing the stare.

"Sure Leon, politics," Gibbs smiled thinking SecNav, "But Mike and I got answers."

"You take risks, Gibbs"

"So Director, I take risks. The same as Eli David, he doesn't go by the book he gets answers."

"He lost his wife and daughter to…"

"Hell Leon, I lost my wife and daughter….maybe we have repaid our debts. Leon, we are all the same, but you say white, I'll say black…..I'm right, you're wrong and vice versa, but put it this way we are both in the same boat, we are on the same side…..we get there…..in the end. That be all Director?" Gibbs now asked, "Looks like you have a lot of reading to do, and the first half dozen are not worth the paper they are written on." Pointing to the desk and then turning to walk out the door.

Leon Vance just sighed as he watched the door shut, yes they were like chalk and cheese, ebony and ivory but he wouldn't have anyone else to watch his back, as he now sat at his desk and opened file one.

The End


	4. Venus and Mars

**Venus and Mars**

Ziva and Tony

Release date 30th May 1975

Supposedly, Venus = Linda, Mars = Paul ... but they claimed it was about an imaginary friend, whose friend was an astrologer.

They fought like cat and dog, or were it the other way round. Oh yes he could be as sarcastic and catty as much as she could. He loved her really, well not in the "I'd take you to bed" love…well he might but then again, would she appreciate his prowess.

She sat huffily in the corner of the bullpen, he was so….so like an elastic band. He could be so utterly unapproachable, demanding the right to be left on his own, moody reflecting on the situation, but with a little tender care and thoughtfulness, would bounce back to being obnoxious.

He loved to have his abilities recognised and of course appreciated, he hated having his ideas dismissed, but this was sometimes the case with the logical woman. Why, he wondered did her questions always start with "Could you" or Can you", this really undermined his authority, why did she not ask nicely, saying "Would you" or will you".

She only ever asked if he _could_ do something, because if she asked _"would you"_ he would ineffably answer "No, I can't," or even more annoyingly, "No, I won't" he was just so childish.

He was troubled, he didn't want her to express any concern, but looking at her laughing with Probie, he knew the problem was easily within his abilities, he just needed told, he was right.

She hated how his feelings sometimes became out of context. His views heated, which in her mind led him to be totally unstable. Why could he not be more cold, and logical? Why not kill someone with a paperclip?

He looked at her, she had sunk into a depression, no a mood, she was good at that, a time of emotional turmoil. A negative outlook, oh yes, if she couldn't find a real issue to concentrate on, it then had to be some random thingy.

_How had the conversation gone that day; "Same old Tony, I thought the new Tony wanted something more, a real relationship. I thought you'd grown up"_

"_I was pretending to be someone else."_

"_Yeah, you could have fooled me, I thought you had grown."  
_

"_I'm not particularly interested in outgrowing sex."  
_

"_Sure it would be nice, Tony."  
_

"_But it would be meaningless. Empty."_

"She's was pretty girl, but she's just a girl."

"_The man you were becoming needs a woman. At least I thought he did."_

They sat looking at each other. Tony smiled, Ziva grimaced back they heard the phone ring.

"Yeah, Gibbs…Grab your gear….hey and you two love birds you're riding together…you really need to read the book."

"And which one would that be Boss?" Tony asked.

"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, I got a copy if you like."

"Thought you meant, the Karma Sutra."

"Got that too DiNozzo." Gibbs replied as the elevator doors shut.

The End


	5. Band on the Run

Band on the Run

The Team in Somalia.

Ziva sat tied to the chair, her hair matted with her own blood, her eye half closed or was it open, the taste of spit, and iron from her own blood made her feel so sick. She knew her time had come and that she had no-one but herself to blame. She thought of Tony, maybe she should have been nicer, it hadn't been his fault, he had been following orders, as she herself had done. If I ever get out of here…..

_Stuck inside these four walls, never seeing no-one nice again like you, if I ever get out of here._

"Hey, you got to watch it, and thanks for volunteering me." McGee shouted over the noise of the jeep engine.

"C'mon, McSweaty, thought you joined NCIS to travel, and I hope you are having fun?"

"Yes Tony, but in my own time."

"Are you crazy, you could never afford this, and hey," as they hit another sand dune, "Did you know that Sahara in Arabic is desert? So the Sahara Desert means desert desert. That's a lot of sand."

"Well I think we just fell into the sand and the sun," Tim replied as he looked up and saw the guns pointed at them.

…_..__ as we fell into the sun, and the first one said to the second one there I hope you're having fun_.

Tony looked across at Ziva, she had seen better days. She stared at him, her eyes dead, lifeless.

"You got captured ... on purpose?" she whispered.

"Yeah, McGee wanted to see a bit of life, but see he's sleeping on the job again."

"But Tony, these people are killers." Ziva continued.

"Know that, and that is why we have to stay alive long enough to not get dead." Tony smiled back.

"Well if we ever do get out of this alive, I'll kill you with a paper clip," Ziva replied now giving a watery smile.

"Hey, good to see you haven't lost your sense of humour, and if I may say Jewel in the Nile, maybe we could go there on our way home."

"Very funny Tony," they heard a voice speak from the floor, "I think I've had enough sand for one year.

-oOo-

_Well, the undertaker drew a heavy sigh seeing no one else had come…._

Ducky paced autopsy, he just hoped and prayed that it would not end in four body bags being returned to Washington. He just could not bear to loose, a friend in Jethro. In fact the whole of Gibbs' team, NCIS would be a poorer place; he knew Abigail was in deep depression, he had offered to take her to dinner, buy her caf-pow, but she had shook her head and continued to look at her cell.

"Maybe they are in a cell Duks, rotting in some hell whole. I'll never see them again." She had wailed.

…_..the night was falling as the desert world began to settle down. In the town they're searching for us everywhere, but we never will be found.  
_

The door opened and one of the terrorists rushed in, "Questions are being asked in  
town about missing NCIS agents, concern that U. might mobilize."

"We need to move out, but first I have some unfinished business to attend to." Saleem replied.

_And a bell was ringing in the village square for the rabbits on the run._

"You realise that you will not get out of here alive?" Saleem questioned, again looking at Tony.

"Oh I know that, but hey is that not gunfire I hear, and if I am not wrong, as I can't lie, our Boss," as Tony looked at their jailor and smiled, "Our Boss, Very Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs…. he was a Gunnery Sergeant, a Marine…."

Tony didn't finish speaking, as the sound of a bullet whizzed past his ear and hit their jailer. Saleem fell to the ground, the blood oozing from the hole in his head, "Oh yes forgot to say that Sailor Sam, was a sniper," DiNozzo continued smugly.

-oOo-

And the Director, he didn't hold a grudge; he had never thought they could or would have pulled it off, he knew that Team Gibbs was good and that they pulled together, but it would have been nice to see some action but Vance, he was more a desk agent than a fighter, but he knew he would look forever more to get Agents like Gibbs, and his team.


	6. Back in the USSR

**Back in the U.S.S.R.**

Gibbs tossed and turned, he just couldn't settle, the nightmares, the memories…Paris, Moscow…..Jenny. He rose tired, and went to the kitchen for coffee. He wanted so much to forget. Jenny had gone off grid for 21 hours; Kort had called to say Moscow. Why? She'd never said.

He thought back to when he and Stephanie had been there, a year, the cold winter nights, he smiled. It was the one thing that he and she had agreed not to differ on, a roaring fire and a warm bed, that and a few Vodkas. Gibbs took the crystal clear bottle from the cupboard, not his usual tipple but women preferred it, he looked at it, and declined his own invitation, he preferred Bourbon, but not at this time of the morning. He remembered the only time he had flown into Moscow with Stephanie, the old plane, it was over the Urals, Steph had spent much of the flight sick-bag in hand, she really should have tried the old military aircraft he had been on, going to Iraq.

It had been before Stephanie, he and Jen had held out in a little place in Serbia, he'd first met Callen there, although it was always never mentioned. It was a dark grey area in both their lives. But why, Gibbs thought now was he thinking of returning to his old stomping grounds? Was it that he wasn't getting any younger? Was it because he wanted to lay a ghost…no, it was because the Director had especially asked for Callen and him…they were to go and escort home an alleged spy…..Ulyana Alexandrov, to Moscow.

Ulna Alexis Graham, a Russian citizen, married to an American CIA official, working out of the Russian Embassy. She had a very comfortable life style….well that was until 3 months ago when she sold out her husband….the Russians had of course, been a tad quick to respond and were hankering for a swop. In fact it was two for one, but Director Vance had wanted Gibbs and Callen to escort Ms Alexandrov home personally, who were they were getting back? A US Marine and a Navy Pilot.

Gibbs met Callen at Andrews Airforce Base, the CIA had been reluctant to allow the two Agents to escort the spy, but SecNav had been adamant.

They flew the 9hrs to Moscow, neither Agent had slept. There would be no shopping or entertainment, and there would be time to sleep on the return journey. As they arrived at Morshansk at began the descent to Russian soil. All Gibbs could think was, it was not good to be back in the USSR,as was.


End file.
